RETHINKING LEADERSHIP: WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

Deb Gurke, Director of Board Governance

Wisconsin Association of School Boards

January 14, 2009

The Effective Leader

“The ability to communicate across

the various constituencies of the

organization (both internal and

external) is the key to effective

leadership.”

Margaret

Wheatley

Organizational Effectiveness

Depends on the relationships

between and among team members…

and the staff…

and the community

The Context Is Changing

The World,Wisconsin,and Expectations of Public Schools Are ChangingNCLB

WKCE

Grassroots Economics

Smart Networking

Strong Opinions, Strongly Held

Sick Herd

Urban Wilderness

The End of Cyberspace

©Institute for the Future and KnowledgeWorks Foundation. Used with permission

Income

Making Opportunity Affordable–Wisconsin, Planning Grant, October 2008 - September 2009

Minnesota U.S. Average Wisconsin$32,000

$33,000

$34,000

$35,000

$36,000

$37,000

$38,000

$39,000

Free and Reduced Lunch

Wisconsin's Information Network for Successful Schools, Department of Public Instruction

% Eligible # Not Eligible0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Wisconsin's Information Network for Successful Schools, Department of Public Instruction

Diversity

% American Indian

% Asian % Black % Hispanic % White0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Making Opportunity Affordable–Wisconsin, Planning Grant, October 2008 - September 2009

Baccalaureate degrees

Minnesota U.S. Average Wisconsin0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/

Expectations of public education have changed

From inputs to outputs

All children can learn

Traditional problem solving method

Gather Data

Analyze

dataFormulate a solution

Implement a solution

“Some problems are so complex

that you have to be highly

intelligent and well-informed just

to be undecided about them.”

Laurence J. Peter

Solving Wicked Problems

Gather Data

Analyze

dataFormulate a solution

Implement a solution

Distinguishing Technical from Adaptive Challenges

What’s the Work Who Does the Work?

Technical

Apply Current Know-how

Authorities

Adaptive

Learn new waysThe people with the problem

Creating and Sustaining Positive Culture

Beliefs – Values – Norms

How we act towards each other

The Challenge

How do we operate as a team

so we can focus our energies

on student achievement ?

“Well-functioning, successful teams usually

have chemistry that can’t be quantified.

They seem to get into a virtuous cycle in

which one good quality builds on another.”

Jeffry Sonnenfeld,

Harvard Business Review

September, 2002